Charles rollinson lamb



(No Model.)

O.R.LAMB. TILE.

No. 499,743. Patented June 20, 1893.

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' WITNESSES: INVENTOR BY WW his ATTORNEYS.

m: Noam: PETERS co, Pumouma. wnsumnmu n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ROLLINSON LAMB, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

TILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,743, dated June 20,1893.

Application filed June 13, 1892. Serial No. 436,517. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES ROLLINSON LAMB, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, havemade certain new and useful Improvements in Tiles, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being badto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of tiles which are used for coveringfloors, walls, & c., the particular description of work for which theyare primarily designed being popularly known as mosaic tiling. In thisclass of work, designs, letters, words and figures are produced by usingtiles of small size and of one or more colors to represent the design,and employing tiles of contrasting color or colors for the background.An ordinary size for these tiles is three fourths of an inch square insuperficial area, and three eighths of an inch thick, although they aremade both larger and smaller. In their manufacture it has been found tobe practically impossible to make their exposed or wearing surfaces ofperfectly uniform size, and in consequence of their variation in thisrespect,in laying them considerable time is wasted by the workman in thenecessary sorting and selection of pieces which shall be of the exactsize required for the space or spaces to be filled. Furthermore, as theunder or bearing surfaces of these tiles are made flat and comparativelysmooth, the tiles slip easily on the cement in which they are laid, andgreat care and skill are required in laying them firmly and evenly.Furthermore, the tiles themselves are expensive, because each piece mustbe molded and finished separately, and the number required to cover asurface of any considerable size is large.

The object of my invention is to materially reduce both the cost ofproducing and the cost of laying these tiles, and to this end itconsists in a tile of the character described,

5 which shall possess a plurality of finished surfaces, any or eitherone of which may serve as the wearing or exposed surface of the tilewhen laid, and of such shape and structure thateach tile may be readilydivided into two parts, each of which shall have an uneven or irregularunder or bearing surface, and each of which will take the place of afinished tile as heretofore made.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a design formedof mosaic tiling. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a tile constructed inaccordance with my invention, and Fig. 3 is a perspective View thereofafter being divided ready for laying.

In said drawings (Fig. 1) a letter 1 and the border2 are represented asformed of tiles of one color, and the background 3 of tiles of acontrasting color.

My improved tile (Fig. 2) is preferably of substantially cubical form,and presents six surfaces, any one of which maybe employed as thewearing or exposed surface of the tile when laid. Three only of thesesurfaces are shown in the drawings. As in the fiat tiles heretoforeemployed, these surfaces will all vary slightly in size and shape, andthe sides will not be absolutely rectangular.

In consequence of the practical impossibility of securing perfectuniformity in shape and size, it frequently happens, when laying tilesas heretofore made, which possess only one finished surface, that theworkman is required to examine five or six different pieces and fit themto the space to be filled before one is found which will answer thepurpose, and the time so consumed is practically wasted. With myimproved tile however, it seldom happens that one of its sides(particularly when the tile is of cubical shape) will not fit the spacewhich it is desired to fill. When it is determined which side of thetile is to form the exposed or wearing surface, it is divided centrallyon a line substantially parallel with such surface by ablow with anysharp edged implement, such for instance as a trowel or small cleaver,it being understood that the tiles are to be made of clay or anymaterial usually employed for that purpose, which when baked or fired isfrangible, so as to permit such division or separation in the mannerdescribed. The portion thereof which has been selected by the workman assuitable for the space to be filled is then laid in place in the usualway, with the smooth side up, and the other half or portion is laidaside for use in some other space in the work. The line of cleavagebetween the two portions of the tile will of course be somewhatirregular and uneven, as shown in Fig. 8, and the under surface willtherefore not be perfectly flat and smooth, as is the case in tiles ashere tofore constructed. These under surfaces of the two halves of thetile are those which are are embedded in the cement, and suchirregularities greatly facilitate the work of laying, because theyprevent, to a large extent, any accidental movement of the tile after itis once adjusted in place.

I consider it unnecessary to describe in detail the general method oflaying encaustic or mosaic tiles, since it is well understood by thoseskilled in the art to which my invention pertains, and to such theadvantages of my invention will be obvious. They are:

First. The great saving in the cost of manufacture. One of my improvedtiles which, when divided will cover as much space as two tiles in theform heretofore made, costs little, if any, more than one of them, thelabor and time employed in their manufacture constituting the chief itemof expense.

Second. The still greater savingin the cost of laying, which is due tothe fact that so, much less time is consumed in handling and re-handlingthe tiles in selecting and fitting them to the spaces to be filled.Furthermore, the slightly rough and irregular surface of the dividedtile affords a better bearing sur face for it on the cement bed, andobviates the tendencyto slip out of place after having once beenadjusted, which exists where the under surface of the tile is perfectlyfiat and smooth, and which is the cause of considerable loss of time tothe workman.

These ad vantages are best realized by contile may then be divided, on aplane substantially parallel with such surface, into two parts, eachpart of which shall possess a fin ished'exposed or wearing surface and aroughened under or bearing surface, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

CHAS. ROLLINSON LAMB.

Witnesses:

S. G. METCALF, W. W. SHAW.

